


I Need a Light (for My Cigarette)

by lisswrites



Category: Shameless (US)
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-10
Updated: 2014-12-10
Packaged: 2018-02-28 22:47:42
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 354
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2749958
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lisswrites/pseuds/lisswrites
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>"She knows you’re only as strong as you appear to be; she’ll convince everyone her spine is steel before they see her brittle bones underneath."</p>
            </blockquote>





	I Need a Light (for My Cigarette)

It’s fucking freezing. Even for Chicago. 

Mandy flexes the stiffened length of fingers, cracks her knuckles like her brothers taught her- palm over fist, crunch until it hurts. Mickey swears the pops are louder that way. He thinks its intimidating. Fucking idiot.

She smiles despite herself, lazily slips a crushed cigarette she nicked from Lip’s back pocket into her mouth. Ian usually lights them for her; him being a good boyfriend and all. But it’s Wednesday, so he’s stuck doing some pointless ROTC shit. So she’s walking home alone.  Kicking rocks across the ice-cracked pavement and humming along to the music from an iPod she’d found on the floor of the L a few weeks back. 

Without warning, the blaring song cuts short. She whispers a quiet  _fuck off_. Battery must’ve died.

Which is really too bad for Ally Drobwolski. 

“ _I know!- I don’t know how Bridget stands her. She’s such a slut- I mean, I heard that she lets Lip and Ian double team her. I swear to God."_ " The girls around her laugh, clutching onto each other’s arms for balance. " _If Lip wasn’t fucking Gallagher trash, though, I’d probably fuck him myself.”_

Ally’s blonde hair, carefully curled and side-swept is poking out from underneath her grey, knitted hat. It’s more than enough for a fistful.

Ally mustn’t hear the snow squelching beneath Mandy’s boots because she’s still laughing when Mandy snatches her platinum curls; Mandy winds her fist in them, smashes Ally’s head against the streetlamp with a force that would’ve made Mickey proud.

There’s blood trickling down the girl’s lip and she’s quivering, crying, snot smeared across her face. Mandy doesn’t delight in this. Not like the rest of her family. But she knows you’re only as strong as you appear to be; she’ll convince everyone her spine is steel before they see her brittle bones underneath. 

_"I better not heard the word "Gallagher" come out of your mouth again."_

Dropping the still burning cigarette onto the ground beside her, Mandy lets out a shaky breath once she’s out of earshot.

She wonders what Lip will make of her bloodied knuckles. 


End file.
